Packaging structures with improved adhesion and strength

ABSTRACT

According to various aspects and embodiments, a support structure for packaging an electronic device is provided. In one example, a packaged electronic device includes a substrate, at least one electronic device disposed on the substrate, an encapsulation structure disposed on the substrate and having a wall that forms a perimeter around the at least one electronic device, and at least one support structure formed from a photosensitive polymer and disposed adjacent the wall of the encapsulation structure. The at least one support structure has a configuration that provides at least one of increased adhesion and mechanical strength to the encapsulation structure.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e)to co-pending U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/373,061, filed on Aug.10, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety forall purposes.

BACKGROUND

Polymer materials are useful in a wide variety of technicalapplications, such as wafer-level packaging (WLP), semiconductor devicefabrication, and microfluidic systems. For instance, polymer materialsare capable of being layered and patterned to create three-dimensional(3D) microstructures for WLP applications or can be integrated intodevice structures. These structures can be fabricated using one or moremanufacturing methods developed for semiconductor fabrication, such aspolymer film coating, photosensitive film patterning, wafer-to-waferbonding, etc. These methods may be scaled to produce structures havingfeatures with sizes in the micron to mm size scale. One example of a 3Dtransferable structure is discussed in U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/440,233, filed Feb. 23, 2017 (hereinafter “the '233 application”),which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Certainpolymers are light-sensitive, such as those used in the '233application, meaning that the material may be exposed to light to effectcuring. It has been found that one problem with these types of materialsis that they shrink during the polymerization or cure process. Thisshrinkage may detrimentally impact the mechanical functionality of thestructure. Furthermore, as die sizes become smaller and smaller, thereis less surface area available for the polymer material to adhere to anunderlying substrate.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of semiconductorwafer processing technology. In particular, aspects and embodiments ofthe present invention relate to a packaging structure with improvedadhesion and mechanical strength. According to various aspects of thepresent invention, a set of support structures for packaging anelectronic device is provided. The packaging structure may beimplemented in any one of a number of different types of electronicdevices, such as semiconductor devices, MEMS devices, and microfluidicdevices.

In accordance with one or more aspects of the invention, a method ofpackaging an electronic device is provided. The method comprisesdepositing a layer of temporary bonding material onto a surface of afirst substrate, depositing a layer of structure material onto thetemporary bonding material, forming at least one opening through thelayer of structure material, forming a sleeve structure around at leasta portion of a perimeter of the at least one opening, attaching a secondsubstrate to at least a portion of the sleeve structure, the electronicdevice disposed on a surface of the second substrate, separating thefirst substrate from the second substrate, and depositing a bondingmaterial into an opening within the sleeve structure.

In some embodiments, depositing the bonding material further comprisesdepositing the bonding material onto an upper surface of the sleevestructure and at least a portion of an upper surface of the layer ofstructure material. In some embodiments, attaching the second substratefurther includes aligning the sleeve structure with an encapsulationstructure that forms a perimeter around the electronic device and isdisposed on the surface of the second substrate. In some embodiments, aportion of the layer of structure material is configured to form acollar around the sleeve structure. In some embodiments, a portion ofthe collar is attached to the encapsulation structure. In someembodiments, at least a portion of the collar forms a portion of theencapsulation structure. In some embodiments, at least a portion of thecollar forms a portion of a lid of the encapsulation structure.

According to some embodiments, at least one dimension of the sleevestructure and the collar is substantially the same as at least onedimension of the encapsulation structure. In some embodiments, a widthdimension of the sleeve structure and the collar is substantially thesame as a width dimension of a wall of the encapsulation structure. Insome embodiments, a portion of a wall of the sleeve structure is alignedto be adjacent at least one corner of the encapsulation structure. Insome embodiments, a portion of a wall of the sleeve structure is alignedto be adjacent at least one sidewall of the encapsulation structure.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises forming at least oneopening in the encapsulation structure. In some embodiments, the methodfurther comprises depositing the bonding material into the at least oneopening in the encapsulation structure. In some embodiments, the bondingmaterial is a metal material. In some embodiments, the metal materialforms an interconnect to the electronic device.

According to some embodiments, the sleeve structure is formed from atleast one layer of structure material. In some embodiments, the layer ofstructure material is a polymer.

In some embodiments, depositing the layer of structure materialcomprises spin coating the layer of structure material.

In some embodiments, forming the at least one opening comprises: maskingat least a portion of the layer of structure material to define anunmasked portion and a masked portion such that a masked portioncorresponds to the at least one opening, performing at least a partialcure of the unmasked portion of the layer of structure material, anddeveloping the masked portion of the layer of structure material.

According to some embodiments, depositing the bonding material comprisesevaporating or plating the bonding material into the at least oneopening.

In accordance with another aspect, an attachment structure for packagingan electronic device disposed on a substrate is provided. The attachmentstructure comprises: a collar formed from a layer of structure material,a sleeve formed around an opening that extends through the sleeve, thesleeve having an upper surface and a lower surface, the lower surfaceattached to the substrate, and a bonding cap formed within the openingthat extends through the sleeve from the upper surface to the lowersurface and extends across the upper surface of the sleeve and onto aportion of an upper surface of the collar.

In some embodiments, an encapsulation structure is disposed on thesubstrate, the encapsulation structure having a wall that forms aperimeter around the electronic device, and a portion of a side surfaceof the sleeve is positioned adjacent the wall. In some embodiments, aportion of the collar is attached to the wall of the encapsulationstructure. In some embodiments, the encapsulation structure furtherincludes a lid attached to at least a portion of the wall, and at leasta portion of the collar is attached to the lid. In some embodiments, thecollar forms at least a portion of the lid. According to someembodiments, the attachment structure is positioned at multiplelocations adjacent the wall of the encapsulation structure. In someembodiments, at least one dimension of the collar and the sleeve issubstantially the same as at least one dimension of the wall of theencapsulation structure. In some embodiments, a width of the collar andthe sleeve is substantially the same as a width of the wall. In someembodiments, the bonding cap is formed from a metal material. Accordingto some embodiments, the bonding cap forms an interconnect to theelectronic device. In some embodiments, the structure material is apolymer. In some embodiments, the polymer is photosensitive. In someembodiments, the sleeve is formed from the structure material. In someembodiments, the collar and sleeve have a curvilinear shape.

In accordance with another aspect, a packaged electronic devicecomprises a substrate, at least one electronic device disposed on thesubstrate, an encapsulation structure having a wall that forms aperimeter around the at least one electronic device, and at least oneattachment structure having a collar and disposed adjacent the wall ofthe encapsulation structure, at least a portion of the collar attachedto the wall.

In some embodiments, the at least one attachment structure furtherincludes a sleeve formed within the collar such that the sleeve at leastpartially surrounds an opening in the sleeve. In some embodiments, awall of the sleeve has an upper surface and a lower surface and thelower surface is attached to the substrate. In some embodiments, aportion of a side surface of the wall of the sleeve is disposed adjacentthe wall of the encapsulation structure. In some embodiments, the atleast one attachment structure further includes a bonding cap formedwithin the opening, the opening extending through the sleeve from theupper surface to the lower surface, and the bonding cap extending acrossthe upper surface of the sleeve and onto a portion of an upper surfaceof the collar. In some embodiments, the at least one attachmentstructure is disposed adjacent at least one corner of the encapsulationstructure. In some embodiments, the at least one attachment structure isdisposed at multiple locations adjacent the wall of the encapsulationstructure.

In accordance with another aspect, a method of packaging an electronicdevice is provided. The method comprises depositing a layer of temporarybonding material onto a surface of a first substrate, depositing a layerof structure material onto the temporary bonding material, masking atleast a portion of the layer of structure material to define an unmaskedportion and a masked portion of the structure material, the unmaskedportion of the structure material defining a wall of an enclosureconfigured to surround the electronic device, performing at least apartial cure of the unmasked portion of the layer of structure material,developing the masked portion of the layer of structure material,attaching a second substrate to a surface of the wall of the enclosure,separating the first substrate from the second substrate, and depositinga layer of metal within a plurality of openings disposed within the wallof the disclosure.

In some embodiments, depositing the layer of metal includes depositingthe layer of metal onto at least a portion of an upper surface of thewall of the encapsulation structure.

In accordance with another aspect, a packaged electronic device isprovided. The packaged electronic device comprises a substrate, at leastone electronic device disposed on the substrate, an encapsulationstructure having a wall disposed on the substrate that forms a perimeteraround the at least one electronic device, the wall having a pluralityof openings disposed therein, and a bonding cap formed within theplurality of openings.

According to some embodiments, material of the bonding cap extends ontoan upper surface of the wall. In some embodiments, the plurality ofopenings are disposed equidistant between two edges of the wall. In someembodiments, at least three openings of the plurality of openings aredisposed equidistant from one another. In some embodiments, a sidewallof the encapsulation structure includes a plurality of openings disposedequidistant from one another.

In accordance with another aspect, a method of forming an encapsulationstructure for an electronic device is provided. The method comprisesdepositing a layer of temporary bonding material onto a first substrate,depositing a layer of structure material onto the temporary bondingmaterial, masking at least a portion of the layer of structure materialto define an unmasked portion and a masked portion of the structurematerial, the unmasked portion of the structure material defining atleast a portion of an enclosure configured to surround the electronicdevice and at least one buttress attached to a portion of the enclosure,performing at least a partial cure of the unmasked portion of the layerof structure material, developing the masked portion of the layer ofstructure material, attaching a second substrate to the unmasked portionof the layer of structure material, and separating the first substratefrom the second substrate.

In some embodiments, the at least one buttress extends outwardly fromenclosure. In some embodiments, a portion of the at least one buttressis integrated into at least a portion the enclosure. In anotherembodiment, the portion of the at least one buttress is integrated intoat least a portion of a wall of the enclosure.

According to another aspect, an encapsulation structure for use inpackaging an electronic device is provided. The encapsulation structurecomprises a wall formed from a layer of structure material andconfigured to surround the electronic device, and at least one buttressformed from the layer of structure material and extending outwardly fromthe wall.

In some embodiments, the layer of structure material is a first layer ofstructure material and the encapsulation structure further comprises alid formed from a second layer of structure material and configured toattach to the wall, and the at least one buttress includes the secondlayer of structure material and extends outwardly from the lid. In someembodiments, the at least one buttress is at least one of a curvilinearand a rectilinear shape. In some embodiments, the at least one buttressincludes a hollow region. According to some embodiments, at least onedimension of the at least one buttress is substantially the same as adimension of the wall. In some embodiments, a width dimension of the atleast one buttress is substantially the same as a width dimension of thewall. According to another embodiment, a dimension of a verticalcross-section of the at least one buttress is substantially the same asa dimension of a vertical cross-section of the wall. In someembodiments, the at least one buttress is formed at a corner portion ofthe wall. In some embodiments, the at least one buttress is formed at asidewall portion of the wall.

In accordance with another aspect, a packaging structure for use inpackaging an electronic device is provided. The packaging structurecomprises a wall formed from a layer of structure material andconfigured to surround the electronic device, and at least one fillerstructure formed from the layer of structure material and positionedexternal to the wall.

In some embodiments, at least one filler structure is formed from alayer of material different than the layer of structure material. Insome embodiments, the wall surrounds at least one filler structure. Insome embodiments, the at least one filler structure has at least one ofa curvilinear and a rectilinear shape. In some embodiments, the at leastone filler structure includes a hollow region. In some embodiments, atleast one dimension of the at least one filler structure issubstantially the same as a dimension of the wall. In some embodiments,a width dimension of the at least one filler structure is substantiallythe same as a width dimension of the wall. In some embodiments, adimension of a vertical cross-section of the at least one fillerstructure is substantially the same as a dimension of a verticalcross-section of the wall.

In accordance with another aspect, the attachment structure, theencapsulation structure, or the packaging structure is disposed in apackaged module. According to another embodiment, the packaged module isdisposed in a wireless communications device. According to someembodiments, the packaged module is an electronic device module. In someembodiments, the electronic device module is a radio frequency (RF)device module. In some embodiments, the electronic device moduleincludes an acoustic wave filter.

In accordance with another aspect, a packaged electronic device isprovided. The packaged electronic device comprises a substrate, at leastone electronic device disposed on the substrate, an encapsulationstructure disposed on the substrate and having a wall that forms aperimeter around the at least one electronic device, and at least onesupport structure formed from a photosensitive polymer and disposedadjacent the wall of the encapsulation structure, the at least onesupport structure having a configuration that provides at least one ofincreased adhesion and mechanical strength to the encapsulationstructure.

In some embodiments, the at least one support structure is positioned atmultiple locations adjacent the wall of the encapsulation structure.

In some embodiments, the at least one support structure has a collar anda portion of the collar is attached to the wall of the encapsulationstructure. According to a further embodiment, the at least one supportstructure further includes a sleeve formed within the collar such thatthe sleeve at least partially surrounds an opening in the sleeve. Inanother embodiment, a wall of the sleeve has an upper surface and alower surface and the lower surface is attached to the substrate. Inanother embodiment, a portion of a side surface of the wall of thesleeve is disposed adjacent the wall of the encapsulation structure. Inanother embodiment, at least one dimension of the collar and the sleeveis substantially the same as at least one dimension of the wall of theencapsulation structure. In another embodiment, a width of the collarand the sleeve is substantially the same as a width of the wall. Inanother embodiment, the at least one attachment structure furtherincludes a bonding cap formed within the opening, the opening extendingthrough the sleeve from the upper surface to the lower surface, and thebonding cap extending across the upper surface of the sleeve and onto aportion of an upper surface of the collar. In some embodiments, thebonding cap is formed from a metal material. In another embodiment, theencapsulation structure further includes a lid attached to at least aportion of the wall, and at least a portion of the collar is attached tothe lid. In a further embodiment, the collar forms at least a portion ofthe lid.

In some embodiments, the at least one support structure is disposedadjacent at least one corner of the encapsulation structure.

In some embodiments, the at least one support structure is formed as abuttress extending outwardly from the wall of the encapsulationstructure. In another embodiment, the buttress includes a hollow regionat least partially filled with a filler material. In another embodiment,at least one dimension of the buttress is substantially the same as adimension of the wall, the at least one dimension including at least oneof a width and a vertical cross-section. In another embodiment, the wallof the encapsulation structure is formed from a first layer of thephotosensitive polymer and the encapsulation structure further comprisesa lid formed from a second layer of the photosensitive polymer andconfigured to attach to the wall, the buttress including the first andthe second layers of photosensitive polymer and extending outwardly fromthe lid.

In some embodiments, the at least one support structure has at least onedimension that is substantially the same as a dimension of the wall, theat least one dimension including at least one of a width and a verticalcross-section. In another embodiment, the at least one support structureis further positioned at a location that is external to the wall of theencapsulation structure. In another embodiment, the at least one supportstructure is further positioned at a location within an interior of theencapsulation structure.

In some embodiments, the packaged electronic device is disposed in apackaged module of an electronic device.

In accordance with another aspect a method of packaging an electronicdevice is provided. The method comprises depositing a layer of temporarybonding material onto a first substrate, depositing a layer ofphotosensitive polymer onto the temporary bonding material, masking atleast a portion of the layer of structure material photosensitivepolymer to define an unmasked portion and a masked portion of thephotosensitive polymer, the unmasked portion of the photosensitivepolymer defining at least a portion of an enclosure configured tosurround the electronic device and at least a portion of a supportstructure attached to a portion of the enclosure and having aconfiguration that provides at least one of increased adhesion andmechanical strength to the encapsulation structure, performing at leasta partial cure of the unmasked portion of the layer of photosensitivepolymer, developing the masked portion of the layer of photosensitivepolymer, attaching a second substrate to the unmasked portion of thelayer of photosensitive polymer, and separating the first substrate fromthe second substrate.

In another embodiment the method further comprises forming at least oneopening through the layer of photosensitive polymer and depositing abonding material into the at least one opening.

Still other aspects, embodiments, and advantages of these exampleaspects and embodiments, are discussed in detail below. Moreover, it isto be understood that both the foregoing information and the followingdetailed description are merely illustrative examples of various aspectsand embodiments, and are intended to provide an overview or frameworkfor understanding the nature and character of the claimed aspects andembodiments. Embodiments disclosed herein may be combined with otherembodiments, and references to “an embodiment,” “an example,” “someembodiments,” “some examples,” “an alternate embodiment,” “variousembodiments,” “one embodiment,” “at least one embodiment,” “this andother embodiments,” “certain embodiments,” or the like are notnecessarily mutually exclusive and are intended to indicate that aparticular feature, structure, or characteristic described may beincluded in at least one embodiment. The appearances of such termsherein are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Various aspects of at least one embodiment are discussed below withreference to the accompanying figures, which are not intended to bedrawn to scale. The figures are included to provide an illustration anda further understanding of the various aspects and embodiments, and areincorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, but are notintended as a definition of the limits of any particular embodiment. Thedrawings, together with the remainder of the specification, serve toexplain principles and operations of the described and claimed aspectsand embodiments. In the figures, each identical or nearly identicalcomponent that is illustrated in various figures is represented by alike numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may belabeled in every figure. In the figures:

FIG. 1A illustrates a cross-sectional side view of one example of anattachment structure that may be formed adjacent to an encapsulationstructure according to one or more aspects of the invention;

FIG. 1B illustrates a cross-sectional side view of another example of anattachment structure that may be formed within an opening of anencapsulation structure in accordance with one or more aspects of theinvention;

FIG. 1C illustrates a top view of one example of a buttress structureaccording to one or more aspects of the invention;

FIG. 1D illustrates a top view of one example of a filler structureaccording to one or more aspects of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating one example of a method according toone or more aspects of the invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates an act in the method of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 illustrates an act in the method of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 illustrates an act in the method of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 illustrates an act in the method of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 illustrates an act in the method of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 illustrates an act in the method of FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 illustrates an act in the method of FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 illustrates an act in the method of FIG. 2;

FIG. 11 illustrates an act in the method of FIG. 2;

FIG. 12 illustrates an act in the method of FIG. 2;

FIG. 13 illustrates an act in the method of FIG. 2;

FIG. 14 illustrates an act in the method of FIG. 2;

FIG. 15 illustrates an act in the method of FIG. 2;

FIG. 16A is a side view of one example of an attachment structureaccording to one or more aspects of the invention;

FIG. 16B is a top view of the attachment structure of FIG. 16A;

FIG. 17A is a top view of one example of four attachment structurespositioned adjacent the corners of an encapsulation structure accordingto one or more aspects of the invention;

FIG. 17B is a top view of one example of four attachment structurespositioned adjacent a sidewall of an encapsulation structure accordingto one or more aspects of the invention;

FIG. 17C is a side view of one example of an attachment structurepositioned adjacent a wall of an encapsulation structure according toone or more aspects of the invention;

FIG. 17D is a side view of one example of a pair of attachmentstructures positioned adjacent an encapsulation structure according toone or more aspects of the invention;

FIG. 17E is a side view of another example of a pair of attachmentstructures positioned adjacent an encapsulation structure according toone or more aspects of the invention;

FIG. 18A is a top view of one example of attachment structurespositioned adjacent a wall of an encapsulation structure according toone or more aspects of the invention;

FIG. 18B is a side view of one attachment structure of FIG. 18A;

FIG. 19A is a top view of an encapsulation structure configured for abonding material in accordance with one or more aspects of theinvention;

FIG. 19B is a perspective view of a portion of the encapsulationstructure of FIG. 19A;

FIG. 19C is a perspective view of the encapsulation structure of FIG.19B with the addition of bonding material in accordance with one or moreaspects of the invention;

FIG. 19D is a cross-sectional side view of the encapsulation structureand bonding material taken along a vertical cross-section that includesline A-A of FIG. 19C;

FIG. 20A is a top view of one example of a buttress attached to aportion of a wall of an enclosure in accordance with one or more aspectsof the invention;

FIG. 20B is a cross-sectional side view of the enclosure and buttress ofFIG. 20A taken along line A-A of FIG. 20A;

FIG. 20C is a top view of another example of a buttress attached to aportion of a wall of an enclosure in accordance with one or more aspectsof the invention;

FIG. 20D is a cross-sectional side view of the enclosure and buttress ofFIG. 20C taken along line A-A of FIG. 20C;

FIG. 20E is a top view of another example of a buttress attached to aportion of a wall of an enclosure in accordance with one or more aspectsof the invention;

FIG. 20F is a cross-sectional side view of the enclosure and buttress ofFIG. 20E taken along line A-A of FIG. 20E;

FIG. 21A illustrates a top view of several examples of filler structuresin accordance with one or more aspects of the invention;

FIG. 21B illustrates top views of each example of the filler structureshown in FIG. 19A;

FIG. 21C is a side view of one example of a filler structure inaccordance with one or more aspects of the invention;

FIG. 22 is a flow chart illustrating one example of additional acts thatmay be performed in accordance with one or more aspects of theinvention;

FIG. 23 is a block diagram of one example of a device that can befabricated according to aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 24 is a block diagram one example of a module having one or morefeatures according to aspects of the invention; and

FIG. 25 is a block diagram of one example of a wireless device havingone or more features according to aspects of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Many different applications, such as WLP, electronic device fabrication,microfluidic systems, and the like, are implemented using any one of anumber of different processing techniques, including those typicallyused in semiconductor fabrication, such as film coating and/or layering,photosensitive film patterning, etching, bonding, etc. For instance, the'233 application discloses a transferable polymer structure that can becreated on a preparation substrate and then attached to a devicesubstrate. The transferable structure is thus capable of being createdseparately and then integrated as a component of the electronic deviceand packaging.

As noted above, the polymer materials used in the transferable structuremay shrink as part of the polymerization or curing process. Thisshrinking may compromise the ability of the transferable structure toadhere to the substrate. Furthermore, as die sizes decrease, the sizesof the features included in the 3D structures also decrease, meaningthere is less surface area available on the transferable structure toadhere to a substrate. Prior attempts to solve the problem have includedusing a ceramic glass frit to bond the structures to the substrate,which requires a high processing temperature that is often incompatiblewith many polymer materials and requires line spacing gaps that arelarger than the desired dimensions of a device application. Anotherapproach includes using solder as an attachment material, but solderalso increases the cost of the manufacturing process, is potentiallyincompatible with the end use of the device, and is conductive, whichmay detrimentally affect the functionality of the device. Encapsulationstructures having larger sizes and greater surface area may also beused, but these sizes may also be larger than the desired dimensions ofmany device applications.

Disclosed herein are examples related to a set of support structures forpackaging an electronic device. In accordance with one or moreembodiments, FIGS. 1A-1D illustrate a set of support structures that areconfigured to add at least one of mechanical strength to the packagingstructure and improve adhesion to the substrate. According to variousaspects, the support structures may include any one or more of theattachment structures, buttresses, and filler structures as describedherein. For example, FIG. 1A illustrates a cross-sectional side view ofexample of support structure that is an attachment structure 160 thatincludes a collar 155 (also referred to herein as a collar structure)and sleeve 125 (also referred to herein as a sleeve structure) that areattached to a device substrate 130. A metal bonding material 150, whichmay also be referred to herein as a bonding cap, may be deposited withinan opening in the sleeve 125 and may also be attached to the devicesubstrate 130. As discussed further below and as shown in FIGS. 17D and17E, according to some embodiments, the attachment structure 160 may bepositioned adjacent an encapsulation structure 175 and the collar 155may be attached to a portion of the encapsulation structure 175, such asa portion of the lid (FIG. 17E). In some embodiments, the collar 155 mayform at least a portion of the lid (FIG. 17D) of the encapsulationstructure 175. FIG. 1B illustrates a cross-sectional side view ofanother example of an attachment structure 160 that is formed within anopening of the encapsulation structure 175 (also referred to herein asan enclosure) that surrounds an electronic device. A metal bondingmaterial 150 may be deposited within the opening of the encapsulationstructure that extends to the device substrate 130. FIG. 1C illustratesa top view of one example of a buttress 180 that may be attached at oneor more locations to an enclosure 175 that surrounds one or moreelectronic devices. FIG. 1D illustrates a top view of one example of afiller structure 170 that may be positioned either externally orinternally to an encapsulation structure 175. According to someembodiments, the filler structure 170 is constructed from the samematerial as one or more portions of the enclosure 175, such as the wallsand/or lid, although in other embodiments the filler structure 170 maybe constructed from a different material than the enclosure 175. Forexample, the filler structure 170 may be constructed from one or morematerials possessing better adhesion to the substrate and/or has greatermechanical strength than the material of the encapsulation structure175.

The support structures shown in FIGS. 1A-1D may offer robustness againstforces such as: external pressures applied during subsequent packagingacts, placement of the packaged devices in a vacuum environment, andshear forces from attachment to a flexing substrate. The supportstructures may also be sized and/or shaped to be similar in one or moredimensions as the encapsulation structure that surrounds the electronicdevice or other components included in the package. For instance, thesupport structures may be sized to have a specified range of contactarea length scales for purposes of providing uniformity in height and/orbonding properties, such as force applied during bonding etc. Thesupport structures are capable of being integrated as a component of theelectronic device and packaging.

It is to be appreciated that the aspects disclosed herein in accordancewith the present invention are not limited in their application to thedetails of construction and the arrangement of components set forth inthe following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.These aspects are capable of assuming other embodiments and of beingpracticed or of being carried out in various ways. Examples of specificimplementations are provided herein for illustrative purposes only andare not intended to be limiting. In particular, acts, components,elements, and features discussed in connection with any one or moreembodiments are not intended to be excluded from a similar role in anyother embodiments.

Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting. Any references toexamples, embodiments, components, elements or acts of the systems andmethods herein referred to in the singular may also embrace embodimentsincluding a plurality, and any references in plural to any embodiment,component, element or act herein may also embrace embodiments includingonly a singularity. References in the singular or plural form are notintended to limit the presently disclosed systems or methods, theircomponents, acts, or elements. The use herein of “including,”“comprising,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and variationsthereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter andequivalents thereof as well as additional items. References to “or” maybe construed as inclusive so that any terms described using “or” mayindicate any of a single, more than one, and all of the described terms.In addition, in the event of inconsistent usages of terms between thisdocument and documents incorporated herein by reference, the term usagein the incorporated reference is supplementary to that of this document;for irreconcilable inconsistencies, the term usage in this documentcontrols.

According to various aspects and embodiments, FIG. 2 illustrates a flowdiagram of one example of a method 200 of forming one or more of thesupport structures (also referred to herein as simply “structures”)discussed above in reference to FIGS. 1A-1D. Method 200 is describedbelow in reference to FIGS. 3-16B, and comprises a photolithographictechnique for forming support structures that may be integrated into apackaged electronic device. Although FIGS. 3-16B are directed to formingthe attachment structure 160 shown in FIG. 1A (having a collar, sleeve,and bonding cap), as discussed herein, one or more of the acts includedin method 200 may also be used to create the attachment, buttress, andfiller structures shown in FIGS. 1B-1D.

A first act 202 of method 200 includes treating a surface of apreparation substrate 135 by depositing a layer of temporary bondingmaterial 115 onto a surface of the preparation substrate 135, as shownin FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a side view of a cross-section of the preparationsubstrate 135 with the deposited layer of temporary bonding material 115deposited on a surface of the preparation substrate 135. The temporarybonding material 115 allows for relative ease in the separation orremoval of the preparation substrate 135 once the structure material 120has been transferred to the device substrate 130. Non-limiting examplesof temporary bonding materials include polyvinyl alcohol (PVA),Omnicoat™ (commercially available from MicroChem Corp.),polymethylglutarimide (PMGI), Wafer BOND® HT-10.10 (commerciallyavailable from Brewer Science, Inc. Rolla, Mo.), and other low surfaceenergy organic materials. According to one embodiment, the temporarybonding material is PVA. According to some embodiments, the temporarybonding material 115 may be a halocarbon, such as tetrafluoromethane(CF₄) or sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆). In accordance with certainembodiments, the temporary bonding material 115 may be a material thatis capable of being dissolved by selected solvents. The temporarybonding material 115 may be deposited using a spin-coat or spray-coattechnique, and depending on the application, the thickness may be in arange of about 2000 Angstroms to several microns. According to at leastone embodiment, the surface of the preparation substrate 135 is cleanedprior to deposition of the temporary bonding material 115. For instance,the preparation substrate 135 may be cleaned using a Standard Clean 1(SC1) cleaning solution (i.e., a wet chemical clean), rinsed with water,and then dried, as readily understood by those skilled in the art.

The preparation substrate 135 may be constructed from any one of anumber of different materials, including silicon (Si) or glass, and incertain instances may be made of a piezoelectric single crystal materialsuch as, for example, sapphire, lithium tantalite, lithium niobate,quartz crystal, and the like. Other non-limiting examples of suitablepreparation substrate materials include glass, zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂),zinc oxide (ZiO), and Al₂O₃. In certain instances, the preparationsubstrate 135 may be made from the same material as the device substrate130. According to some embodiments, the preparation substrate 135 may beconstructed from a material that is transparent to UV light.Non-limiting examples of UV transparent materials include siliconcarbide (SiC), sapphire, silicon nitride (SiN), and quartz.

According to one or more embodiments, the preparation substrate 135 is awafer, as understood by those skilled in the art, and may also bereferred to herein as a “carrier wafer.” According to certain aspects,the preparation substrate 135 may be sized and shaped to beapproximately the same size and shape as a device substrate 130,although in certain instances the preparation substrate 135 may bethicker or otherwise more mechanically robust than the device substrate130. The preparation substrate 135 may take on any shape or size that issuitable for a particular application. For instance, the preparationsubstrate 135 may be a square or circular shape and may be sized to besmaller or larger than the device substrate 130.

The photolithographic method described herein may also be used to formthe enclosure or encapsulation structure that surrounds one or moreelectronic devices, as described in the '233 application. For example,as discussed in the '233 application, structure material 120 may be usedto form the “walls” and “lid” of an enclosure that surrounds electronicdevices disposed on a surface of the device substrate. According to someembodiments, the wall and lid structures may be constructed together onthe preparation substrate 135 and then transferred to the devicesubstrate 130. According to some embodiments, the electronic devicepositioned within the encapsulation structure may include or be part ofa larger system, such as a wireless device, as discussed further below.Non-limiting examples of electronic devices include MEMS or acousticwave devices, such as surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters or bulkacoustic wave (BAW) filters, or other similar acoustic wave components.For example, interdigitated transducer (IDT) electrodes of a SAW filtermay be disposed on the device substrate within the enclosure. Accordingto some embodiments, one or more of the support structures disclosedherein may be transferred to a device substrate 130 that already has oneor more portions of an enclosure or encapsulation structure disposed onits surface. According to other embodiments, one or more of the supportstructures or portions of the support structures disclosed herein areformed at the same time as the enclosure or encapsulation structure andare transferred at the same time to a device substrate.

Returning to FIG. 2, at act 204, a layer of structure material 120 isdeposited onto the preparation substrate 135. FIG. 4 illustrates a sideview of a cross-section of the layer of structure material 120 disposeddirectly onto the upper surface of the temporary bonding material 115.According to certain aspects, the layer of structure material 120 may bedeposited using spin-coat or spray-on techniques. As used herein, theterm “structure material” may be used to refer to one or more materialsthat are used to form features that may be implemented into electronicdevices or into packaged electronic devices. For instance, the structurematerial 120 may be configured to form one or more of the supportstructures or portions of the support structures (e.g., 160, 170, and180) shown in FIGS. 1A-1D. As explained herein, the disclosed supportstructures may be used to enhance the structural and adhesive integrityof the enclosure that encapsulates the electronic devices disposed onthe device substrate.

In accordance with various embodiments, the layer of structure material120 may include one or more polymer materials. In some embodiments, thepolymer material may be a polyimide material, such as polyimide resin.According to one embodiment, the polymer may be photosensitive such thatwhen the material is exposed to light, such as ultraviolet (UV) light,the photosensitive material reacts and polymerizes. In certaininstances, the UV light causes crosslinking between polymer chains thatresults in forming a stable polymeric network, thereby hardening thematerial. Non-limiting examples of photosensitive materials includephotosensitive epoxies, polyimide, and epoxy-based photoresistmaterials, such as B-stage polymers. Some examples of these materialsinclude SU-8 photoresist (commercially available from MicroChem Corp.),benzocyclobutene (BCB), and mr-I 9000 (commercially available form MicroResist Technology Gmbh). In some embodiments, the thickness of thestructure material is from about 3 microns to about 5 microns, althoughother thicknesses are within the scope of this disclosure. As will beunderstood by those of skill in the art, the thickness of the structurematerial may depend on the desired application, i.e., how thick or thinthe desired features are to be.

The structure material 120 is masked at act 206 to create unmasked andmasked portions of the structure material 120. According to someembodiments, a masking material 145, such as a photolithographic mask(also referred to herein as a photomask) is used to perform this act, asshown in FIG. 5. For example, FIG. 5 illustrates a view of across-section of a photolithographic mask 145 with a pattern thatcorresponds to the unmasked and masked portions of the underlyingstructure material 120. The photolithographic mask 145 may beconstructed from a solid material, such as glass, quartz, or fusedsilica that is coated with an opaque film (e.g., chrome), into which thedesired pattern is etched. Thus, the “masked” portions of thephotolithographic mask 145 include light-blocking material (such aschrome) and the “unmasked” portions allow light to pass through to theunderlying layer of material.

In act 208, and as illustrated in FIG. 6, an at least partial cure isperformed on the layer of structure material 120. According to someembodiments, the at least partial cure may be performed by exposing thelayer of structure material to a source of light, such as UV light. Thelight may be directed through the photomask 145, thereby causing theexposed (i.e., “unmasked”) portions of the structure material 120 to atleast partially cure or polymerize. The unexposed (i.e., “masked”)portions of the structure material 120 do not polymerize since thephotomask 145 functions to reflect (or absorb, depending on thematerial) the light. In accordance with some embodiments, and as shownin FIG. 6 (with the photomask 145) and FIG. 7 (with the photomaskremoved), regions of the unexposed portions of the structure material120 b may correspond to one or more “openings” in the structure material120, such as the examples shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B that are filled withbonding material 150 (discussed below with reference to act 218).

According to some embodiments, the at least partial cure may beaccomplished by exposing the structure material 120 to a source oflight, such as a source of UV light, for a predetermined amount of time.In accordance with some embodiments, the structure material 120 may beat least partially cured according to a cure schedule provided by thematerial manufacturer. In certain instances, a partial cure is performedand then a full cure is done during later processing. For instance, oncethe receiving substrate 130 is attached, a full cure may be performed. Afull cure may function to fully polymerize and harden the structurematerial 120. Partial curing may aid in attaching one or more additionallayers of structure material. For example, a partial cure may beperformed for each layer of structure material. A partial cure may alsoaid in attaching the structure material to the device substrate 130.Once attached, a full cure may be performed. According to someembodiments, the structure material 120 may be partially cured at theexposure act 208 and/or a later act prior to bonding. In certaininstances, a full curing process may be performed after the structurematerial 120 is transferred to the device substrate 130.

According to one or more embodiments, the structure material 120 may betreated before or after exposure to light so as to render it capable ofbonding, such as by performing a soft-cure step before bonding. In someembodiments, the layer of structure material 120 may be soft baked priorto exposure to light. For example, certain structure materials, such asphotoresist, may be soft baked prior to exposure, and then afterexposure, undergo a post exposure bake (PEB). Once a develop step isperformed (e.g., act 210 in FIG. 2), the photoresist may undergo a hardbake, although according to some embodiments a hard bake is notperformed after the develop step. In some embodiments, a shortened orhalf cure is performed prior to bonding. For instance, SU-8 may be softbaked prior to exposure at a temperature of 95° C. for a time periodthat depends on the thickness and the type of SU-8 material. After beingexposed, a shortened or half cure of the photoresist may be performedprior to bonding. In some embodiments, a PEB process may be performedprior to the develop step and prior to bonding. For instance, SU-8material may undergo a PEB process at temperatures of about 65° C.and/or about 95° C. for a time period that depends on the thickness andtype of SU-8 material (e.g., from 1-5 minutes). According to someembodiments, the temperature and/or time may be reduced for the softbake and/or PEB (as compared to the times and temperatures recommendedby the material manufacturer). Soft bake and PEB may also be used ininstances where multiple layers of polymer are formed. For example, afirst layer of polymer structure material may be partially cured, andthen a second layer of polymer structure material may be deposited ontop of the first layer. Once transferred, both layers may be hardened byperforming a PEB and optionally a hard bake process. According toembodiments where a hard bake is performed, the hard bake may beperformed at a temperature in a range of about 150° C. to about 250° C.for up to 30 minutes (depending on the thickness and the type ofphotoresist).

The photolithographic processes discussed herein for forming structuresreferences a type of photosensitive material that polymerizes orotherwise reacts with light to form a hardened layer. As will beappreciated by those of skill in the art, other types of photosensitivematerial may be used as the structure material, such as materials thatactually photo-solubilize when exposed to light. Thus, exposed portionsof this type of material are removed, and the unexposed portions formthe structures that are then transferred to the device substrate.According to this type of embodiment, the photomask that is usedreverses the unmasked and masked portions of the photomask used in theexamples discussed herein. Thus, the portions exposed to light aredeveloped or otherwise removed at act 210, and additional acts may beperformed to render this type of material suitable for transfer or laterprocessing. For instance, an additional curing act may need to beperformed, such that the structure material is exposed to heat and/orlight of a different wavelength(s).

As indicated in FIG. 2, the deposition 204, masking 206, and at leastpartial cure 208 acts may be repeated to add additional layers ofstructure material 120. For instance, as shown in FIG. 8, an additional,second layer of structure material 120 may be spin-coated or otherwisedeposited onto the existing first layer of exposed (120 a) and unexposed(120 b) portions of the first layer of structure material as shown inFIGS. 7 and 8. According to this example, a first mask is configured toconstruct a first layer of structure material 120 that forms a collar155 and an upper portion of the sleeve 125 of the attachment structureshown in FIG. 1A (1^(st) layer), and a second mask is configured toconstruct a second layer of structure material 120 that forms a lowerportion of the sleeve 125 of the attachment structure of FIG. 1A (2^(nd)layer). Thus, the second photomask 145 is positioned over the secondlayer of structure material 120 and has unmasked portions correspondingto the lower portion of the sleeve 125, as shown in FIG. 9 according toact 206. At act 208, the second layer of structure material 120 is atleast partially cured, for example, by exposing the second layer to asource of light directed through the photomask 145, which results inunexposed (120 b) and exposed (120 a) portions of the second layer ofstructure material, as shown in FIG. 10 (with the photomask 145 inplace) where the exposed portions of the second layer of structurematerial 120 a correspond to the lower portion of the sleeve 125 (onceattached to the device substrate 130).

The unexposed portions of structure material 120 b remain unreacted andmay be developed or otherwise removed in act 210 using any one of anumber of different removal techniques, such as by exposing thestructure material 120 to a solvent, which results in the collar 155 andsleeve 125 structures shown in FIG. 11. An opening 110 in the sleeve 125that extends through the exposed structure material 120 a that forms thesleeve 125 is also formed, which may be later filled with bondingmaterial 150. The at least partially polymerized (exposed) portions ofthe structure material 120 a corresponding to the unmasked regions ofthe photomask 145 are resistant to the solvent, and therefore only themasked portions 120 b are removed. In this instance, and as indicated inFIG. 11, the unexposed portions of both the first layer and the secondlayer of unexposed structure material 120 b are developed or otherwiseremoved in act 210. According to one embodiment, portions of theunreacted structure material may be developed or otherwise removed inact 210 using one or more organic solvents, such as an SU-8 developermaterial (commercially available from MicroChem Corp.) or propyleneglycol methyl ether acetate (PGMEA), in instances where SU-8 is used asthe structure material 120.

As mentioned above and as shown in FIG. 2, additional layers ofstructure material 120 may be added in a repetitive cycle until adesired structure is formed that may then be transferred from thepreparation substrate 135 to the device substrate 130. For instance, theattachment structure of FIG. 1A includes two layers of structurematerial, where the first layer is masked to form the collar 155 andupper portion of the sleeve 125 and the second layer is masked to formthe lower portion of the sleeve 125. Other configurations of attachmentstructures constructed from one or more layers of structure material arealso within the scope of this disclosure.

Referring again to FIG. 2, once the develop act 210 is performed and thedesired structure has been created, the device substrate 130 may beattached to at least a portion of the exposed structure material 120 a(also referred to hereafter as simply 120) at act 212. For instance, thesleeve structure 125 of the attachment structure shown in FIG. 1A may bealigned to features on the device substrate 130. In some embodiments,the sleeve structure 125 may be aligned with an encapsulation structuredisposed on the device substrate 130, where the encapsulation structureforms a perimeter around an electronic device that is also disposed onthe device substrate 130. Once aligned, the device substrate 130 may bebonded to the structure material 120.

In accordance with various aspects, the device substrate 130 may be apiezoelectric substrate, such as lithium tantalite or sapphire.According to some embodiments, the electronic device(s) 185 may beinterdigital transducer (IDT) electrodes of a SAW filter, although otherforms of acoustic wave devices or MEMS devices are also within the scopeof this disclosure. Referring to FIG. 12, the device substrate 130 maybe attached or otherwise bonded to the structure material 120 formed onthe preparation substrate 135 at act 212. The attachment process mayoccur at an elevated temperature under pressure for a predeterminedlength of time. The temperature and time used during bonding may dependon the type of materials used and the type of electronic device beingpackaged. For instance, when SU-8 is used as the structure material,bonding may be performed at a temperature from about 150° C. to about300° C. and a pressure of from about 0.5 MPa to about 2 MPa for a timeduration of from about 5 minutes to about 45 minutes. According to someembodiments, the bonding may be performed under vacuum conditions. Insome embodiments, additional pressure does not need to be applied duringthe bonding process. In certain instances, the structure material 120may undergo a full cure after the attachment act 212 is performed.

Although FIG. 12 indicates that portions of the layer of structurematerial 120 are bonded directly to the device substrate 130, accordingto some embodiments, one or more portions of the transferred structuremay be bonded to features or structures already disposed on the devicesubstrate 130, such as bonding or sealing structures, previouslytransferred structures, or other features that contribute to thefunctionality of the package and/or electronic device disposed on thedevice substrate 130. One or more of these features may requireprocessing that is not conducive to the layer of structure material 120(or vice versa), and therefore it may be advantageous to create thestructure material 120 on a separate substrate and then later transferthe structure material 120 onto these existing features or structures.

At act 214, the preparation substrate 135 may be separated from thedevice substrate 130. In some embodiments, the preparation substrate 135may be removed; thereby leaving the layer of structure material 120attached to the device substrate 130, which may then be inverted, asillustrated in FIG. 13. For instance, FIG. 13 shows a side view of across-section of the collar 155 and sleeve 125 formed from the structurematerial 120 a that form structural components of an attachmentstructure according to one or more embodiments. The temporary bondingmaterial 115 may be removed using any one of a number of differentremoval techniques, such as by exposing or otherwise contacting thetemporary bonding material 115 with a release agent, such as aninorganic or organic solvent, and/or through a thermal process such asby exposing the temporary bonding material 115 to heat. According tosome embodiments, a developer material, including developer productssold by MicroChem Corp. (“MCC”), such as MCC 101 may be used as arelease agent. According to some embodiments, the release agent may bean inorganic solvent, such as water. For example, PVA (when used as atemporary bonding material) may be dissolved in water. The release agentmay also be one that is recommended by the manufacturer of the temporarybonding material 115. For instance, product information published by themanufacturer of the temporary bonding material 115 may include a list ofone or more suitable release agents that may be used for dissolving orotherwise removing the temporary bonding material. According to someembodiments, a “dry” transfer is performed, meaning that the preparationsubstrate 135 is removed without the use of any liquids such as liquidbonding materials and/or solvents.

Although not explicitly shown in method 200 of FIG. 2, according to someembodiments, the preparation substrate 135 may be recycled and reusedafter it has been removed from the device substrate 130. Thus, thepreparation substrate 135 may be used over and over again in multipleprocesses.

In act 216, and as shown in FIG. 14, the device substrate 130 is maskedwith a masking material 145. In the example shown in FIG. 14, themasking material 145 is configured to create a bonding cap from bondingmaterial 150 (e.g., see FIG. 15), and in this instance the mask 145 has“open” regions that correspond with the opening 110 in the sleeve 125,an upper surface of the sleeve 125, and a portion of the upper surfaceof the collar 155. Masking in act 216 may be configured for metaldeposition (act 218) and may be performed using any one of a number ofdifferent techniques. For instance, a layer of photoresist may bedeposited and patterned to function as the mask 145 and form the openregions that correspond to the bonding cap. According to otherembodiments, the mask 145 may be a stencil, otherwise referred to hereinas a shadow mask, or other screen printing technique. In this instance,the shadow mask may be a planar material, such as a thin metal plate,with a predetermined pattern of one or more openings that correspond tothe bonding cap.

In act 218, and as illustrated in FIG. 15, a bonding material 150 isdeposited into the opening 110 and upper surface of the sleeve 125, andextends onto a portion of the upper surface of the collar 155. Inaccordance with some embodiments, the bonding material 150 is a metal,non-limiting examples of which include copper (Cu), titanium (Ti),tungsten (W), gold (Au), aluminum (Al), or a combination of one or moremetals. The bonding material 150 may be deposited using any one of anumber of different deposition techniques, such as by chemical vapordeposition (CVD) or physical vapor deposition (PVD) methods such assputtering or evaporation, or by electroplating.

Although not explicitly shown, according to some embodiments, thebonding material 150 may be formed over an adhesion layer. For instance,a layer of Ti, TiW, or Cr may be deposited on the structure material 120a, such as the upper surface of the sleeve 125 and the upper surface ofthe preparation substrate 130 within the opening 110, prior todeposition of a layer of metal material. For example, the bondingmaterial 150 may includes a TiW/Au stack where TiW is deposited as anadhesion or diffusion barrier layer, and Au is deposited on top of theTiW. The method of deposition for the bonding material 150 may bedependent upon the types of materials used and/or the dimensions of thefeatures, such as the aspect ratio (i.e., length to height) of thebonding cap 150. For instance, bonding caps with lower aspect ratios maybe formed using plating or PVD techniques, such as sputtering, whereasit may be more difficult to form bonding caps with higher aspect ratiosusing sputtering techniques. According to various aspects, a bonding cap150 with a lower aspect ratio may be stronger than a bonding cap 150with a higher aspect ratio since it has more surface area for theadhesion layer to anchor to. According to some embodiments, the bondingmaterial 150 may be deposited by physical vapor deposition and may bepatterned using standard lithographic and etching techniques. Accordingto other embodiments, the bonding material 150 may be deposited byelectroplating. A metal seed layer (not shown) may be formed over theadhesion layer as previously described prior to electroplating thebonding material. The metal seed layer may be deposited using PVDtechniques. According to some embodiments, the metal seed layer mayinclude or consist of copper (Cu) or TiW-Au alloy.

The bonding cap 150 may be sized and dimensioned to provide structuralintegrity to the package. According to some embodiments, the “head” ofthe bonding cap may be sized to extend slightly beyond the sleeve 125,although in other embodiments, it may extend to the edge of the sleeveor within the dimensions of the sleeve. The thickness of the “head” mayalso vary according to the width of the head, the types of materialsused, and the desired aspect ratio of the bonding cap 150. For instance,bonding caps with a wider “head” may include a thinner thickness(height) to the head, and bonding caps having a smaller width to the“head” may require thicker heights. In accordance with at least oneembodiment, the diameter of the “head” of the bonding cap 150 may beabout twice that of the depth of the bonding cap, giving the bonding cap150 an aspect ratio with a value of 2:1. As will be appreciated, otherdimensions and aspect ratios for the bonding cap are within the scope ofthis disclosure. According to some embodiments, the head of the bondingcap 150 may have a thickness that is a few tens of microns.

According to some embodiments, the bonding cap 150 may comprise one ormore planar surfaces. For instance, the upper or top surface of thebonding cap 150 may be planar, as shown in FIG. 15.

After the bonding material 150 is deposited, any photoresist andportions of the metal seed layer remaining on the upper surfaces of thestructure material 120 a may be removed by, for example, thermalprocessing, chemical dissolution, and/or wet or dry etching.

Once the mask 145 is removed, the resulting attachment structure 160 isshown in FIGS. 16A and 16B. FIG. 16A is a side view of the cross-sectionof an attachment structure 160 that includes a collar 155 and sleeve 125formed form one or more layers of structure material 120 and a bondingcap 150 that is formed within an opening that extends through the sleeve125. The bonding cap 150 shown in FIG. 16B is drawn to be transparent,to reveal the sleeve 125 underneath. The lower surface of the sleeve 125is attached to the device substrate 130 and the upper surface of thesleeve 125 is planar with an upper surface of the collar 155. In thisexample, and as shown in the top view shown in FIG. 16B (shown withoutthe underlying device substrate 130), the sleeve 125 and collar 155 arecurvilinear in shape, and from an annular structure around the bondingcap 150. However, the sleeve 125 and/or collar 155 may be configured tobe other shapes, such as rectilinear in shape. For instance, the sleeve125 and/or collar 155 may be a square shape. In this particular example,the bonding cap 150 is configured to be formed within the opening in thesleeve 125 such that it extends through the sleeve 125 from the uppersurface to the lower surface of the sleeve 125 and to also extend acrossthe upper surface of the sleeve 125 and onto a portion of the uppersurface of the collar 155. As mentioned above, in some embodiments thebonding cap 150 may extend to only a portion of the upper surface of thesleeve 125.

According to some embodiments, the attachment structure 160 may bedisposed or otherwise placed adjacent to one or more structures disposedon the device substrate 130. According to some embodiments, one or moreattachment structures 160 may be positioned adjacent an encapsulationstructure that surrounds an electronic device disposed on the devicesubstrate 130. For instance, FIG. 17A is a top view of an embodimentwhere four attachment structures 160 are each positioned at a corner ofan encapsulation structure 175 and FIG. 17B is a top view of anembodiment where four attachment structures are disposed adjacent asidewall of the encapsulation structure 175. The attachment structure160 shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B is drawn to be transparent to show thesleeve 125 underneath the bonding cap 150. The examples shown in FIGS.17A and 17B feature an attachment structure 160 such as that shown inFIGS. 16A and 16B. The attachment structure 160 may be positioned at oneor more locations adjacent a wall of the encapsulation structure. FIG.17C is a side view of a cross-section of the attachment structure 160 ofFIGS. 16A and 16B positioned adjacent an encapsulation structure 175(also referred to herein as an enclosure). One or more electronicdevices 185 are disposed on a surface of the substrate 130 and anencapsulation structure 175 includes a wall that forms a perimeteraround the electronic devices 185. In this example, a portion of a wallof the sleeve 125 is aligned to be adjacent the wall of theencapsulation structure 175. Further, a portion of the collar 155 of theattachment structure 160 is attached to the encapsulation structure 175.In this instance, a portion of the collar 155 is attached to a portionof the upper surface of the encapsulation structure 175.

In some embodiments, the encapsulation structure 175 may also include alid that covers the electronic devices 185 and extends across at least aportion of the upper surface of the walls of the encapsulation structure175. The collar 155 of the attachment structure 160 may therefore beconfigured to attach to either an upper surface of the wall of theencapsulation structure (in instances where the lid does not extend allthe way across the wall) or may be attached to a portion of the lid (ininstances where the lid extends across the wall). For example, FIG. 17Dillustrates a side view of one embodiment where a portion of the collar155 is attached to an upper surface of the lid of the encapsulationstructure. FIG. 17D also illustrates how two attachment structures 160may be positioned adjacent an encapsulation structure 175. In someembodiments, the encapsulation structure 175 and one or more portions ofthe attachment structure 160 may be formed on the preparation substrateand transferred at the same time. For example, the lid and walls of theencapsulation structure 175, as well as the collar 155 and sleeve 125 ofthe attachment structure 160 may be formed and transferred at the sametime. In some embodiments, a first layer of structure material maycorrespond to the collar 155 as well as a first portion or layer of thesleeve 125, a second layer of structure material may correspond to thelid as well as a second portion or layer of the sleeve 125, and a thirdlayer of structure material may correspond to the wall of theencapsulation structure as well as a third portion or layer of thesleeve 125. In an alternative embodiment, the encapsulation structure175 and the attachment structure 160 are formed and transferredseparately. For instance, the lid and walls of the encapsulationstructure 175 may be formed and transferred to the device substrate 130first, and then the sleeve 125 and collar 155 of the attachmentstructure 160 may be formed and transferred to the device substrate 130.

According to some embodiments, at least a portion of the sleeve and/orcollar of the attachment structure 160 may be integrated into theencapsulation structure 175. FIG. 17E is a side view of an example wherethe collar 155 is configured to be integrated into the lid of theencapsulation structure 175. The collar 155 may therefore extendoutwardly toward the cavity 140 housing the electronic device 185 andform at least a portion of the lid of the encapsulation structure 175.In some embodiments, a first layer of structure material corresponds tothe lid of the encapsulation structure 175 as well as the collar 155 anda first portion or layer of the sleeve 125. A second layer of structurematerial can then be added that corresponds to the walls of theencapsulation structure 175 and a second portion or layer of the sleeve125.

The attachment structure 160 functions to add structural support to thepackaging structure, including the encapsulation structure 175, and tofunction as a bonding agent and help more firmly “secure” or otherwiseadhere the encapsulation structure 175 to the device substrate 130. Forinstance, the encapsulation structure 175 may be formed from polymermaterial, such as SU-8, and during the curing process portions of thematerial may shrink and lift off or otherwise separate from the devicesubstrate 130. The attachment structure 160 therefore includes featuresthat aid in securing structure material 120 that forms the encapsulationstructure 175 to the device substrate 130. For instance, the bonding cap150 adheres to the device substrate 130 more strongly than the structurematerial of either the encapsulation structure 175 or the sleeve 125,and the collar 155 and sleeve 125 help hold the encapsulation structure175 in place, especially when deforming stresses are applied. Theincreased contact area generated by the attachment structure 160 andformed between the lower surface of the sleeve 125 and the devicesubstrate 130 also enhances the strength, i.e., increases adhesion, ofthe bond. The flared head of the bonding material 150 may also functionto provide structural support for the collar 155 and/or sleeve 125.

In accordance with at least one embodiment, uniform dimensions may beused in forming the attachment structures and other components of thedevice packaging, such as the encapsulation structure 175. This resultsin enhanced performance and ease in manufacturing the device packaging,such as similar height dimensions, which allows for uniform forces to beapplied during bonding steps, and also allows for equal forces atlocations in the structure that are bond locations. In one embodiment,at least one dimension of the sleeve 125 and the collar 155 issubstantially the same as at least one dimension of the encapsulationstructure 175. For instance, FIG. 17C indicates that a width dimensionof the sleeve 125 and collar 155 (labeled “A”) is substantially the sameas a width dimension of the wall of the encapsulation structure 175(labeled “B”). In some embodiments, the width of the wall and the widthof the sleeve 125 and collar 155 may be from about 20 microns to about50 microns, although other thicknesses are also within the scope of thisdisclosure. For example, in some embodiments, the wall thickness of theenclosure may be 25 microns or greater.

According to some embodiments, the attachment structure 160 may beattached at multiple locations around the encapsulation structure 175,as shown in the top view of FIG. 18A. A side view of a cross-section ofone attachment structure 160 of FIG. 18A is shown in FIG. 18B. Theattachment structure 160 shown in FIG. 18A is drawn to be transparent toshow the sleeve 125 underneath the bonding cap 150. According to thisembodiment, each attachment structure 160 is positioned within the wallof the encapsulation structure 175, although as shown in FIGS. 17A and17B, the attachment structure 160 may be positioned outside the wall ofthe encapsulation structure 175. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 18Aand 18B, a portion of the wall of the sleeve 125 forms a portion of thewall of the encapsulation structure 175. As can be seen more clearly inFIG. 18A, the wall of the encapsulation structure 175 is adjacent thebonding material 150 formed within the opening of the sleeve 125. Inthis embodiment, the sleeve 125 and collar 155 are configured such thata width dimension of the sleeve 125 and collar 155 (labeled as “A” inFIGS. 18A and 18B) is substantially the same as a width dimension of thewall of the encapsulation structure 175 (labeled as “B” in FIGS. 18A and18B). According to other embodiments, the collar 155 may also form aportion of the wall of the encapsulation structure 175. The attachmentstructure 160 shown in FIGS. 18A and 18B functions in a similar way asthe attachment structure 160 of FIGS. 16A and 16B. For instance, thecollar 155 and sleeve 125 with bonding material 150 through their coreaid in adding structural support and bonding integrity to theencapsulation structure 175.

Although not explicitly shown in FIG. 17C or FIG. 18B, the bonding cap150 of the attachment structure 160 may be configured to form aninterconnect to the electronic device 185. For instance, the bonding cap150 may be used as an interconnect to route signals between one or morelayers in the electronic device package. The bonding material 150 mayextend to the underlying device substrate 130 (or bonding structuresformed thereon). In some embodiments, the bonding material 150 forms theelectrical contact between elements of the package, such as theelectronic device 185 disposed within the cavity 140, and the outside ofthe package.

As discussed above, the walls and/or lid of the encapsulation structure175 may be formed and transferred separately and may be positioned onthe device substrate 130 prior to the formation and transfer of theattachment structure 160. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 17C, the wallof the sleeve 125 is positioned immediately adjacent the wall of theencapsulation structure 175, such that they are touching. In otherembodiments, a gap may exist between the sleeve 125 and the wall of theencapsulation enclosure 175, and the collar 155 may be attached to theupper surface of the encapsulation structure 175. In the embodimentshown in FIG. 18B, the wall of the sleeve 125 is configured to form aportion of the wall of the encapsulation structure 175, but in otherembodiments, the sleeve 125 may be completely integrated into the wallof the encapsulation structure 175. This may include a process wherebyat least a portion of the sleeve 125 or at least a portion of the sleeve125 and collar 155 are formed on the preparation substrate 135 at thesame time as the encapsulation structure 175.

According to another embodiment, an attachment structure 160 may beintegrated into the encapsulation structure 175. For example, FIG. 19Ais a top view of an encapsulation structure 175 that includes one ormore openings 165, which are also shown in FIG. 19B, which illustrates aportion of the wall of the encapsulation structure 175 of FIG. 19A. Theopenings 165 may be formed according to one or more processes. Forinstance, the openings 165 may be formed using an etch process, such asa dry or wet etch process. This type of processing forms the openings165 by etching through the structure material 120 that forms theencapsulation structure 175. In some instances, the openings 165 mayextend through the wall of the encapsulation structure 175. In instanceswhere the lid extends over the walls of the encapsulation structure 175,the openings 165 may also extend through the lid.

According to another example, one or more of the openings 165 may beformed using a photolithographic process, such as by implementing acts204-210 of the method 200 discussed above in reference to FIG. 2. Theopenings 165 would therefore correspond to masked portions of thestructure material 120 that are later removed during the develop step210. In another example, the openings 165 are formed by creating adouble-walled encapsulation structure 175 that includes “bridged”regions that extend between the two walls. For instance, two nestedwalls may form the enclosure or, in the alternative, each side of theenclosure may include a pair of walls, as shown in FIG. 19A. Also asillustrated in FIG. 19A, the pair of walls may be configured to have oneor more dimensions that are substantially the same. For instance, thewidth of the outer wall (labeled “A”) may be substantially the same asthe width of the inner wall (labeled “B”).

In accordance with at least one embodiment, bonding material 150 may bedeposited into the one or more openings 165 formed within theencapsulation structure 175, as shown in FIGS. 19C and 19D. Forinstance, FIG. 19C is a perspective view of the encapsulation structure175 of FIGS. 19B with bonding material 150 deposited within the openings165, and FIG. 19D is a side view of a cross-section taken along avertical cross-section that includes line A-A of FIG. 19C. The bondingmaterial 150, otherwise referred to as a bonding cap, may be a metalmaterial that is deposited using any of the methods discussed above inreference to act 218. For instance, metal material may be deposited intothe openings 165 using electroplating or evaporation techniques. Thebonding material 150 may be deposited such that it extends onto at leasta portion of the upper surface of the encapsulation structure 175, asshown in FIGS. 19C and 19D, and therefore forms a “T” shaped structure.Since the material of the bonding cap 150 adheres more strongly to thedevice substrate 130 than the structure material 120, the bonding cap150 functions to add strength to the bond between the encapsulationstructure 175 and the device substrate 130 and to help hold theencapsulation structure 175 in place.

Although FIGS. 19A-19D feature openings 165 that are rectilinear inshape, other types of shapes are also within the scope of thisdisclosure. For instance, the openings 165 may be curvilinear, and mayform round apertures that extend through the encapsulation structure175. According to some embodiments, the openings 165 may be disposedequidistant between two edges of the wall. For instance, the “A” and “B”dimension shown in FIG. 19A are substantially the same, and thereforeopening 165 is disposed equidistant between the outer (labeled “c”) andinner (labeled “d”) edges of the wall of the enclosure 175. In someembodiments, at least three openings 165 may be disposed equidistantfrom one another. For instance, the center of the middle opening 165labeled in FIG. 19A may be positioned the same distance from the centerof the top opening and the center of the bottom opening. Therefore, insome embodiments, a sidewall of the encapsulation structure 175 mayinclude a plurality of openings 165 that are disposed equidistant fromone another. Other spacing configurations are also within the scope ofthis disclosure. For instance, openings 165 may be formed at locationswhere the polymer structure material 120 is known to shrink or pull awayfrom the substrate, such as at corners.

According to another embodiment, support structures formed as buttresses(or buttress structures) may be added to or otherwise incorporated withthe encapsulation structure 175. FIGS. 20A, 20C, and 20E each illustratea top view of a three examples of an encapsulation structure 175 thatincludes at least one buttress 180 (also referred to herein as a“buttress structure”). In accordance with one or more embodiments, thebuttress 180 extends outwardly from the wall of the encapsulationstructure 175. The buttress 180 may be positioned at one or morelocations on the encapsulation structure 175. For instance, in theexamples shown in FIGS. 20A, 20C, and 20E, the buttress 180 ispositioned at each corner of the encapsulation structure 175. Accordingto other examples, the buttresses may be positioned at other locationson the encapsulation structure 175, such as the sidewalls. FIGS. 20B,20D, and 20F are each a side view of a cross-section taken along lineA-A of FIGS. 20A, 20C, and 20E respectively, and each includes apartially transparent view of the encapsulation structure 175. As shownin each of FIGS. 20B, 20D, and 20F, a portion of the buttress 180 may beintegrated into at least a portion of the encapsulation structure 175,such as a wall and/or a wall and lid of the encapsulation structure 175.For instance, where a lid of the enclosure 175 extends across the widthof the wall of the enclosure, then the buttress 180 may form a portionof the wall and lid.

The buttress 180 may function to alleviate stresses formed within thestructure material 120 that forms the encapsulation structure 175. Forinstance, the structure material 120 may shrink during cure at thecorner locations, which in certain cases can lead to delamination fromthe substrate 130. The buttress 180 can therefore be positioned at thecorner locations to help balance the inward forces experienced duringcure and thereby reduce the risk of delamination.

In some embodiments, the buttress 180 is formed using aphotolithographic process, such as by implementing acts 204-210 of themethod 200 discussed above in reference to FIG. 2. The buttress 180 maybe formed at the same time as the encapsulation structure 175 and mayrequire one or more layers of structure material 120. For instance,unmasked portions of the structure material 120 may define a wall or lidof the enclosure, as well as at least one buttress that is attached to aportion of the wall or lid. In some instances a first layer of structurematerial defines the walls of the enclosure 175 and a first layer of thebuttress 180, and a second layer of structure material defines the lidof the enclosure 175 and a second layer of the buttress180.

According to some embodiments, the buttress 180 is at least one of acurvilinear and a rectilinear shape. For instance, FIGS. 20A and 20Eboth illustrate buttresses 180 with rectilinear shapes. Specifically,FIG. 20A illustrates a buttress 180 having a rectangular shape, and FIG.20E illustrates a buttress 180 having a “cross” or “plus” or “X” shape.FIG. 20C illustrates a buttress 180 with a curvilinear shape, and inthis example is an annular ring. In addition, the buttress 180 mayinclude a hollow region (otherwise referred to herein as a void), suchas the hollow “ring” structure shown in FIG. 20C. In this example, thehollow region extends through the buttress 180, but in otherembodiments, the hollow region may extend through only a portion of thebuttress 180. In some embodiments, the hollow regions may be at leastpartially filled with a filler material, such as metal or another typeof polymer. The filler material may function to enhance the adhesion ofthe buttress 180 to the device substrate 130, and may therefore befilled with material that adheres more strongly to the device substrate130 than the material comprising other portions of the buttress. Thefiller material may also function to enhance the structural integrity ofthe buttress 180. As will be appreciated, the shapes shown in FIGS. 20A,20C, and 20E are non-limiting and the buttress may have any one of anumber of different shapes, including trapezoids, helixes, triangles,squares, rectangles, ellipses, circles, or combinations of rectilinearand curvilinear shapes. The shape of the buttress 180 may depend on theapplication, the types of materials, and the geometry and size of theencapsulation structure 175 and may be sized and shaped to perform thefunction of reducing the risk of delamination or otherwise improveadhesion of the enclosure to the substrate.

The buttress 180 may be configured to have at least one dimension thatis substantially the same as a dimension of the encapsulation structure175. In some embodiments, at least one dimension of the buttress 180 issubstantially the same as a dimension of the wall of the encapsulationstructure 175. For instance, as shown in FIGS. 20A, 20C, and 20E, awidth dimension of the buttress 180 (labeled as “A”) is substantiallythe same as a width dimension of the wall of the encapsulation structure175 (labeled as “B”). According to some embodiments, a dimension of avertical cross-section of the buttress 180 is substantially the same asa dimension of a vertical cross-section of the encapsulation structure175, such as a wall. For instance, a vertical cross-section of thebuttress 180 may have a height that is substantially the same as aheight dimension of a vertical cross-section of the wall or the wall andlid of the encapsulation structure 175. Configuring the buttress 180 tohave a dimension that is substantially the same as the encapsulationstructure 170 may provide mechanical uniformity to the bond region, suchas a uniform height and uniform compressibility, etc.

According to another embodiment, a support structure formed as a fillerstructure may be added to the device package. FIG. 21A is a top view ofa large chip scale package (CSP) structure 177 or module that includesseveral examples of filler structures 170 a-170 f that are positionedwithin the CSP structure 177. The perimeter of the CSP structure 177 maybe a wall that is formed from one or more layers of structure material120, such as a polymer material, as previously described. Although notexplicitly shown in FIG. 21A, a “lid” or “roof” may also be formed overthe CSP structure 177 that attaches to the walls. The CSP structure 177may include one or more encapsulation structures 175 that each surroundone or more electronic devices. In some embodiments, the lid of the CSPstructure 177 may function as the lid of each of these encapsulationstructures, and in other embodiments, each encapsulation structure 175may have a separate lid. In the example shown in FIG. 21A, six separateenclosures or encapsulation structures 175 are disposed within theinterior of the module 177. In accordance with some embodiments, atleast one filler structure 170 may be positioned external to the wall ofencapsulation structure 175. In other embodiments (not illustrated), thefiller structure 170 may be positioned within the encapsulationstructure 175. FIG. 1D shows an embodiment where filler structures 170are positioned both internal and external to an encapsulation structure175. The filler structure 170 may function to provide structural supportto the lid or roof of the CSP structure 177 and/or the lid of theencapsulation structure 175 (when positioned within the interior of theencapsulation structure 175).

FIG. 21B is a top view of each example of the filler structures 170a-170 f shown in FIG. 21A. The filler structure 170 may be configured totake on any one of a number of different sizes and shapes. In someembodiments, the filler structure 170 may have at least one of acurvilinear and a rectilinear shape. For instance, filler structure 170a of FIG. 21A as shown in FIG. 21B has rectilinear sidewalls withcurvilinear corners and includes a single-walled structure with a hollowinterior region that includes two cross-braces that extend between thelongitudinal portions of the two sidewalls. Filler structure 170 b has arectilinear “cross” shape with a hollow interior. Filler structure 170 dhas a curvilinear shape with a hollow interior and forms an annularring, and filler structure 170 e has a rectilinear shape having a squareshape with a hollow interior. The filler structure 170 may beconstructed to have multiple walls, such as the double-walledconfigurations of filler structure 170 c and 170 f. Although the fillerstructures 170 shown in FIG. 21B all include hollow regions, the fillerstructure 170 may also be formed from solid material, such as the fillerstructures 170 shown in FIG. 1D. As will be appreciated by those skilledin the art, the shapes and configurations shown in FIGS. 21A and 21B arenon-limiting and other shapes and configurations are also within thescope of this disclosure. The filler structure 170 may be of any shapeor size appropriate for the proper functionality of the module 177 andto provide additional mechanical strength, as discussed below. The shapeand size of the filler structure 170 may depend on the particularapplication, including the types of device and types of materials used,as well as the geometry of the package.

The filler structure 170 may function to provide structural integrity tothe device package. One or more filler structures 170 may be positionedin areas of the package where additional mechanical strength may bedesired. For instance, the example shown in FIG. 21A has deviceenclosures or encapsulation structures 175 distributed and positionednear the interior of the module 177 and has filler structures 170 a-170f positioned near the external regions of the module 177, where theremay otherwise be “blank” space. As one example, filler structures 170 bare positioned in a first corner region of the module 177, fillerstructure 170 d is positioned at a second corner region of the module177, and filler structure 170 f is positioned in a third corner of themodule 177. Filler structures 170 c and 170 e are positioned near theinterior and a sidewall of the module 177. The filler structures 170a-170 f are positioned external to the enclosures or encapsulationstructures 175 and within the module 177 to provide additional strengthto the package and to help balance or offset stresses experienced by thepackage, such as bending or thermal stresses, as well as effects ofother structures within the module 177, such as the devices and/orencapsulation structures 175.

According to some embodiments, the filler structure 170 may beconfigured to have at least one dimension that is substantially the sameas a dimension of the encapsulation structure 175. In some embodiments,at least one dimension of the filler structure is substantially the sameas a dimension of the wall of the encapsulation structure 175. Forinstance, in a similar manner as described previously, a width dimensionof the filler structure 170 (labeled as “A” in FIG. 21B) issubstantially the same as a width dimension of the wall of theencapsulation structure 175. In some instances, the dimension may be awidth dimension of one or more “walls” that form the perimeter of thefillers structure 170, such as those shown in FIG. 21B. According tosome embodiments, a dimension of a vertical cross-section of the fillerstructure 170 is substantially the same as a dimension of a verticalcross-section of the encapsulation structure 175, such as a wall. Forinstance, a vertical cross-section of the filler structure 170 may havea height that is substantially the same as a height dimension of avertical cross-section of the wall, or the wall and lid of theencapsulation structure 175. The common or uniform dimensionality of thefiller structure 170 and other components of the package, such as theencapsulation structure 175 help provide overall strength anduniformity.

In some embodiments, the filler structure 170 may be formed from one ormore layers of structure material 120. FIG. 21C is a side view of across-section of a device substrate 130 with one or more layers ofstructure material 120 that form the filler structure. The fillerstructure 170 may be formed using a photolithographic process, such asby implementing acts 204-210 of method 200 discussed above in referenceto FIG. 2. For instance, unmasked portions of the structure material maycorrespond to the filler structure 170. The filler structure 170 mayrequire one or more layers of structure material 120. According to someembodiments, the filler structure 170 may be prepare separately on thepreparation substrate 135 and then transferred to the device substrate130 either before or after the encapsulation structure 175 has beentransferred to the device substrate 130. In certain instances, thefiller structure 170 may be prepared and transferred to the devicesubstrate 130 at the same time as the encapsulation structure 175.

Also shown in FIG. 21A are examples of enclosures 175 that include anattachment structure 160 such as the attachment structure 160 discussedabove in reference to FIGS. 17A, and 17B, and a buttress 180 asdiscussed above in reference to FIG. 20A.

Acts 330 and 340 of FIG. 22 may optionally be performed using the devicesubstrate 130 with one or more of the support structures disclosedherein. For example, in act 330 further processing may be performed,such as depositing or removing other layers of material that providefunctionality to the electronic devices or packaging that houses thedevices. According to some embodiments, act 330 may include addingsealing structures to the device package. The sealing devices may aid insealing the packaged device from external environments outside thepackage. Act 340 includes tape mounting the packaged devices to anadhesive-coated tape, and then performing singulation using a diecutting process, as recognized by those of skill in the art.

Although method 200 discussed above discloses a photolithographictechnique for forming the support structures disclosed herein, othermethods of forming these structures is also within the scope of thisdisclosure. For instance, according to one embodiment, structurematerial 120 may be deposited directly onto either the preparationsubstrate 130 and/or the device substrate 135 using an inkjet printingtechnique. One such example of using this technique to directly depositonto a preparation substrate 135 may include first depositing a layer oftemporary bonding material (as described above in reference to act 202of method 200) which is followed by depositing structure material 120 inan uncured state by an inkjet printer that has been configured todeposit the structure material 120 into a desired pattern, such as thecollar and/or sleeve of the attachment structure 160, the buttressstructure 180, the filler structure 170, and/or the walls and lid of theencapsulation structure 175, as described above. Once deposited, thestructure material may be at least partially cured and then transferredor otherwise bonded to the device substrate 130.

Embodiments of the support structures described herein can be includedin an electronic device or component and/or can be integrated into avariety of different modules including, for example, a stand-alonemodule, a front-end module, a module combining the component with anantenna switching network, an impedance matching module, an antennatuning module, or the like. FIG. 23 is a block diagram of a device 330,such as a wireless device, that can be fabricated according to one ormore of the processes described herein. Such a device 330 can includeone or more acoustic wave filters 302, such as SAW or BAW filters orother similar acoustic wave components, and can be packaged according toone or more of the embodiments as described herein. The device 330 canalso include a switching circuit 304. In some embodiments, control ofthe switching circuit 304 can be performed or facilitated by acontroller 306. The device 330 can also be configured to be incommunication with an antenna 308.

Embodiments of the support structures disclosed herein, optionallypackaged into the device 330 or the module 300 discussed below, may beadvantageously used in a variety of electronic devices. Non-limitingexamples of the electronic devices can include consumer electronicproducts, parts of the consumer electronic products, electronic testequipment, cellular communications infrastructure such as a basestation, etc. Examples of the electronic devices can include, but arenot limited to, a mobile phone such as a smart phone, a telephone, atelevision, a computer monitor, a computer, a modem, a hand heldcomputer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, an electronic bookreader, a wearable computer such as a smart watch, a personal digitalassistant (PDA), a microwave, a refrigerator, an automobile, a stereosystem, a DVD player, a CD player, a digital music player such as an MP3player, a radio, a camcorder, a camera, a digital camera, a portablememory chip, a health care monitoring device, a vehicular electronicssystem such as an automotive electronics system or an avionicselectronic system, a washer, a dryer, a peripheral device, a wristwatch, a clock, etc. Further, the electronic devices can includeunfinished products.

As discussed above, the support structures described herein may be usedto package electronic devices such as a mobile communications device orother electronic device. FIG. 24 is a block diagram of one example of amodule 300, such as an antenna switch module, that can include anembodiment of the structures described herein. The module 300 includes apackaging substrate 302 that is configured to receive a plurality ofcomponents. In some embodiments, such components can include a die 310that is packaged according to one or more features as described herein.For example, the die 310 can be formed from a device substrate 130 asdescribed above and may be packaged using one or more of the supportstructures such as the attachment structures, buttress structures,and/or filler structures, as described herein. The die may also includean acoustic wave filter 308, such as a SAW or BAW filter or othersimilar acoustic wave component, a switch 200, such as an antennaswitch, and optionally other circuitry or components, such as acontroller 230, for example. A plurality of connection pads 312 canfacilitate electrical connections such as wirebonds 304 to connectionpads 306 on the substrate 302 to facilitate passing of various power andsignals to and from the die 310. In some embodiments, other circuitry orcomponents 320 can be mounted on or formed on the packaging substrate302. For example, the components 320 may include phase shifters, filtercircuitry, modulators, demodulators, down converters, and the like, aswould be known to one of skill in the art of semiconductor fabricationin view of the disclosure herein. In some embodiments, the packagingsubstrate 302 can include a laminate substrate.

In some embodiments, the module 300 can also be packaged using one ormore of the support structures as described herein. For example, one ormore of the support structures may be prepared according to the methodsdiscussed herein to form one or more packaging structures with improvedadhesion and mechanical strength. The resulting packaging structuresmay, for example, provide protection and facilitate easier handling ofthe module 300. In certain instances, the packaging structure mayinclude an overmold formed over the packaging substrate 302 that isdimensioned to substantially encapsulate the various circuits andcomponents thereon. It will be understood that although the module 300is described in the context of wirebond-based electrical connections,one or more features of the present disclosure can also be implementedin other packaging configurations, including flip-chip configurations.

In some implementations, a device packaged according to one or more ofthe embodiments described herein can be included in an RF device such asa wireless device. The packaging structures described herein can beimplemented directly in the wireless device, in a modular form asdescribed herein, or in some combination thereof. In some embodiments,such a wireless device can include, for example, a cellular phone, asmart-phone, a hand-held wireless device with or without phonefunctionality, a wireless tablet, a wireless router, a wireless accesspoint, a wireless base station, modem, communication network, or anyother portable or non-portable device configured for voice and/or datacommunication.

FIG. 25 is a block diagram of a wireless device 100 that, according tocertain embodiments, may implement one or more of the support structuresdisclosed herein. The wireless device 100 can be a cellular phone, smartphone, tablet, modem, or any other portable or non-portable deviceconfigured for voice or data communications. The wireless device 100includes an antenna 102 and can transmit and receive signals from theantenna 102.

The wireless device 100 further includes a transceiver 160. Thetransceiver 160 is configured to generate signals for transmissionand/or to process received signals. Signals generated for transmissionare received by the power amplifier (PA) 106, which amplifies thegenerated signals from the transceiver 160. Received signals areamplified by the low noise amplifier (LNA) 108 and then provided to thetransceiver 160. The antenna switch module and filter component 300 canbe configured to perform one or more functions. For instance, theantenna switch module portion of the component 300 can switch betweendifferent bands and/or modes, transmit and receive modes, etc. Theacoustic wave filter of component 300 may be used to perform a filteringfunction of the signal so as to allow through desired channels(s). Theantenna 102 both receives signals that are provided to the transceiver160 via the antenna switch module and filter component 300 and the LNA108, and also transmits signals from the wireless device 100 via thetransceiver 160, the PA 106, and the antenna switch module and filtercomponent 300. However, in other examples multiple antennas can be used.Although not shown in FIG. 25, the antenna switch module and filtercomponent 300 may be implemented as separate components.

The power amplifier 106 can be used to amplify a wide variety of RF orother frequency-band transmission signals. For example, the poweramplifier 106 can receive an enable signal that can be used to pulse theoutput of the power amplifier to aid in transmitting a wireless localarea network (WLAN) signal or any other suitable pulsed signal. Thepower amplifier 106 can be configured to amplify any of a variety oftypes of signal, including, for example, a Global System for Mobile(GSM) signal, a code division multiple access (CDMA) signal, a W-CDMAsignal, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) signal, or an EDGE signal. Incertain embodiments, the power amplifier 106 and associated components,including switches and the like, can be fabricated on GaAs substratesusing, for example, pHEMT or BiFET transistors, or on a Siliconsubstrate using CMOS transistors.

The wireless device 100 further includes a power management system 170that is connected to the transceiver 160 and that manages the power forthe operation of the wireless device 100. The power management system160 can also control the operation of the baseband processing circuitry140 and other components of the wireless device 100. The powermanagement system provides power to the various components of thewireless device 100. Accordingly, in certain examples the powermanagement system 170 may include a battery. Alternatively, the powermanagement system 170 may be coupled to a battery (not shown).

The baseband processing circuitry 140 is shown to be connected to a userinterface 150 to facilitate various input and output of voice and/ordata provided to and received from a user. The baseband processingcircuitry 140 can also be connected to a memory 180 that is configuredto store data and/or instructions to facilitate the operation of thewireless device, and/or to provide storage of information for the user.

Process 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 depicts one particular sequence ofacts in a particular embodiment. According to certain embodiments, someacts are optional and, as such, may be omitted. Additionally, the orderof acts can be altered, or other acts can be added, without departingfrom the scope of the embodiments described herein. For instance, inprocess 200, a cure or partial cure of the structure material 120 maytake place before and/or after exposure and/or after the devicesubstrate 130 is attached. In addition, process 200 may includedeveloping portions of the existing layers of structure material (act210) prior to depositing additional layer(s) of structure material (act204).

Having thus described several aspects of at least one example, it is tobe appreciated that various alterations, modifications, and improvementswill readily occur to those skilled in the art. For instance, examplesdisclosed herein may also be used in other contexts. Such alterations,modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of thisdisclosure, and are intended to be within the scope of the examplesdiscussed herein. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawingsare by way of example only.

What is claimed is:
 1. A packaged electronic device, comprising: a substrate; at least one electronic device disposed on the substrate; an encapsulation structure disposed on the substrate and having a wall that forms a perimeter around the at least one electronic device; and at least one support structure formed from a photosensitive polymer and disposed adjacent the wall of the encapsulation structure, the at least one support structure having a configuration that provides at least one of increased adhesion and mechanical strength to the encapsulation structure.
 2. The packaged electronic device of claim 1 wherein the at least one support structure is positioned at multiple locations adjacent the wall of the encapsulation structure.
 3. The packaged electronic device of claim 2 wherein the at least one support structure has a collar and a portion of the collar is attached to the wall of the encapsulation structure.
 4. The packaged electronic device of claim 3 wherein the at least one support structure further includes a sleeve formed within the collar such that the sleeve at least partially surrounds an opening in the sleeve.
 5. The packaged electronic device of claim 4 wherein a wall of the sleeve has an upper surface and a lower surface and the lower surface is attached to the substrate.
 6. The packaged electronic device of claim 5 wherein a portion of a side surface of the wall of the sleeve is disposed adjacent the wall of the encapsulation structure.
 7. The packaged electronic device of claim 6 wherein at least one dimension of the collar and the sleeve is substantially the same as at least one dimension of the wall of the encapsulation structure.
 8. The packaged electronic device of claim 7 wherein a width of the collar and the sleeve is substantially the same as a width of the wall.
 9. The packaged electronic device of claim 5 wherein the at least one attachment structure further includes a bonding cap formed within the opening, the opening extending through the sleeve from the upper surface to the lower surface, and the bonding cap extending across the upper surface of the sleeve and onto a portion of an upper surface of the collar.
 10. The packaged electronic device of claim 9 wherein the bonding cap is formed from a metal material.
 11. The packaged electronic device of claim 3 wherein the encapsulation structure further includes a lid attached to at least a portion of the wall, and at least a portion of the collar is attached to the lid.
 12. The packaged electronic device of claim 11 wherein the collar forms at least a portion of the lid.
 13. The packaged electronic device of claim 2 wherein the at least one support structure is disposed adjacent at least one corner of the encapsulation structure.
 14. The packaged electronic device of claim 13 wherein the at least one support structure is formed as a buttress extending outwardly from the wall of the encapsulation structure.
 15. The packaged electronic device of claim 14 wherein the buttress includes a hollow region at least partially filled with a filler material.
 16. The packaged electronic device of claim 14 wherein at least one dimension of the buttress is substantially the same as a dimension of the wall, the at least one dimension including at least one of a width and a vertical cross-section.
 17. The packaged electronic device of claim 14 wherein the wall of the encapsulation structure is formed from a first layer of the photosensitive polymer and the encapsulation structure further comprises a lid formed from a second layer of the photosensitive polymer and configured to attach to the wall, the buttress including the first and the second layers of photosensitive polymer and extending outwardly from the lid.
 18. The packaged electronic device of claim 1 wherein the at least one support structure has at least one dimension that is substantially the same as a dimension of the wall, the at least one dimension including at least one of a width and a vertical cross-section.
 19. The packaged electronic device of claim 18 wherein the at least one support structure is further positioned at a location that is external to the wall of the encapsulation structure.
 20. The packaged electronic device of claim 18 wherein the at least one support structure is further positioned at a location within an interior of the encapsulation structure.
 21. The packaged electronic device of claim 1 disposed in a packaged module of an electronic device.
 22. A method of packaging an electronic device, comprising: depositing a layer of temporary bonding material onto a first substrate; depositing a layer of photosensitive polymer onto the temporary bonding material; masking at least a portion of the layer of structure material photosensitive polymer to define an unmasked portion and a masked portion of the photosensitive polymer, the unmasked portion of the photosensitive polymer defining at least a portion of an enclosure configured to surround the electronic device and at least a portion of a support structure attached to a portion of the enclosure and having a configuration that provides at least one of increased adhesion and mechanical strength to the encapsulation structure; performing at least a partial cure of the unmasked portion of the layer of photosensitive polymer; developing the masked portion of the layer of photosensitive polymer; attaching a second substrate to the unmasked portion of the layer of photosensitive polymer; and separating the first substrate from the second substrate.
 23. The method of claim 22 further comprising forming at least one opening through the layer of photosensitive polymer and depositing a bonding material into the at least one opening. 